Family Vacation: Five Apps for Long Trips

There are some families that ban iPads, phones, email, and all things tech when taking the hallowed family vacation. I'm amazed by that. Maybe we'll try it sometime. But, though I don't want to spend our vacation tied to our devices, there are moments when I find having a little tech helps everyone recharge.

For instance: waiting in long lines, waiting for dinner after a long day without a nap, keeping quiet on a long flight (again, when nap time just won't happen!). Or, even just hanging out at the hotel room to help wind down before the bedtime routine. I'm a firm believer in moderation, but our iPads and iPhones help things run a little more smoothly. Especially for those parts of a vacation that are just not interesting or enjoyable for a young kid. Here are a couple of apps that kept my 4-year-old daughter interested while on our vacation last week: